Comparison of density measurement methods for unidirectional flax-epoxy polymer composites

Abstract

. Density is a decisive factor in determining one of the most important advantages of flax fiber-reinforced polymer (FFRP) composites, i.e. their relatively low weight leading to high specific properties. As a fundamental physical property of composites, density enters in many engineering design and quality control calculations and its value is a determining factor for several applications. Especially, we need precise material properties including density so as to develop efficient numerical models to these materials. In this work, three density measurement methods were evaluated and compared: Helium-gas pycnometry and Archimedes with two different immersing liquids, water and ethanol. The results show that Helium-gas pycnometry and Archimedes with ethanol gave similar and repeatable results, whereas using water resulted in much lower values. The density values were all in the range of reported values. However, Helium-gas pycnometry or Archimedes using ethanol are recommended for more precision in measuring the density of FFRP composites.